A vintage Weakley Equipment Co animated neon sign is to headline a sale at Mecum Auctions on March 27-28.
It's one of a series of pieces from the Walker Sign collection that will be sold without reserve in Arizona.
 Harry Walker found the lot in downtown Memphis |
Harry Walker, the owner of the collection, explained he found the extraordinary lot in Memphis: "I've been around here since I was able to walk. I hated to see something like that go to scrap.
"I don't know what to do with it. I didn't realize it was as big as it was. I thought it was about 8 feet. We got the crane up there and found out its 11½ feet tall. And the guy on the sign stands 7 feet tall."
The lot was hugely expensive when it was made in 1948, with lawn equipment firm Weakley paying out a reported $8,000 (around $78,000 today).
A major Chevrolet sign produced in Detroit by Walker & Co is another high profile lot.
It likely dates to the 1930s and 1940s, when America's automobile manufacturing industry was in its heyday.
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